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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27684203">Helping hands</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangeNoise/pseuds/StrangeNoise'>StrangeNoise</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chronic Pain, Established Relationship, Fluff, Headaches &amp; Migraines, M/M, Massage, Richie Tozier is a Good Significant Other, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 01:28:39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27684203</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrangeNoise/pseuds/StrangeNoise</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Richie watches his boyfriend struggle with recurring headaches and decides he wants to help him any way he can...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>45</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Helping hands</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One of the first things Eddie does after leaving Myra and moving in with Richie is make about three dozen appointments with various medical professionals and get checked for every illness he was told he has since he’s been a child. Richie jokes that the people at his insurance company probably think he’s dying but Eddie only rolls his eyes at this. And if he’s being honest, Richie is proud of his boyfriend for finally facing his fears and getting some actual diagnosis instead of parroting what his crazy mother told him was wrong with him ever since his sixth birthday. It takes a lot of time to get everything checked out and some specialists need a lot of convincing before seeing Eddie. But in the end, despite the massive dip Eddie’s mental health takes during the weeks of constant doctor’s visits, it’s worth it. <br/> <br/>Apart from the effects of the injuries Eddie sustained by being pierced right through by the claw of some monster clown, he’s pretty healthy. One doctor diagnoses him with allergies to a few types of pollen which was pretty obvious to anyone, who had seen Eddie in spring. A different one tells him he has some minor food allergies – no gluten or lactose intolerance, though, as Eddie assumed for years – but that they’re nothing he needs to worry about. Of course, there’s also some major anxiety going on but when Eddie gets told to look into that it’s a miracle he just doesn’t hit his doctor with a ‘duh’ outright. Diligent as he is, Eddie finds himself a therapist rather quickly and even makes Richie look into therapy options. <br/> <br/>So, all in all, things are looking up health-wise for both of them – except for one thing. <br/> <br/>At least once a month Eddie gets splitting headaches that last from a few hours to several days and render him almost unfit to work every time. Of course, Eddie went to a neurologist to get that checked out but everything seems fine in his head. The man suggests, however, that it could be caused by Eddie’s muscles, given he’s always so stiff and tense, and suggests getting some massages and physical therapy in. Eddie promises to look into it but doesn’t immediately. Not because he doesn’t believe the neurologist but because he’s terribly uncomfortable with strangers touching him – especially for extended periods of time – and it’s something he wants to work on with his therapist first before he gets in a massage chair only to leave it tenser than before. It’s healthy and a good choice, even Eddie’s therapist agrees, but it means that for the moment, Eddie suffers.<br/> <br/>And Richie suffers right with him. After three or four months he can already name the telltale signs of Eddie developing a headache and every time he prays to some nameless deity that this is gonna be one of the fleeting ones, that Eddie will be fine a few hours later or the next morning at the latest. More often than not that is the case but sometimes it lingers. Eddie will start eating painkillers like candy and stop talking if he doesn’t absolutely have to. If it’s a workday, he usually pushes himself to go to the office or at least work his regular eight hours in home office. In those cases, Richie will spend most of his day trying to get Eddie to stop pushing himself when he’s in pain like this until the smaller man lashes out at him. <br/> <br/>When the headaches come on one of Eddie’s rare off-days, he’s even more miserable. He says that working with a headache is bad enough but having time to spend with Richie and being unable to enjoy it because his head is pounding is worse. Richie is understanding even if he’s disappointed sometimes when he’s piled all his appointments and work-related things into the week so he can spend the weekend with Eddie, only to sit in the next room, playing Xbox by himself while his boyfriend is in the bedroom trying to sleep away his headache. Sometimes, Eddie emerges after a while and Richie gets hopeful but then the smaller man shakes his head and then collapses on the couch next to Richie, curling in on himself underneath a blanket and with his head resting in the taller man’s lap. Richie will continue playing or put on a movie and occasionally run his hand through Eddie’s hair, as his boyfriend just lies there, eyes half-closed to shield them from the light coming off the screen and trying not to be sick.<br/> <br/> <br/>After six months of this, Richie has enough of seeing Eddie suffer like this. <br/> <br/>He devises a plan that starts with him watching every massage video on the internet he can get his hands on. Since most of them fall into the ASMR category, it is not uncommon that Eddie will come home to Richie passed out on the couch while massage videos play on his tablet in front of him. Thankfully, Eddie remains unaware of the goings-on, too busy complaining about dirty dishes in the sink or some coworker, who annoyed him at work that day.<br/>Once Richie is somewhat confident in his massage abilities, he begins buying supplies like nice-smelling candles and massage oils. <br/>Richie also buys some of Eddie’s favorite food and drinks in case that is more up his boyfriend’s alley or something he would appreciate in a moment of need.<br/> <br/>And then Richie waits, keeping his secret stash of headache remedies well hidden, and wondering when the next bad bout will happen. Despite all his efforts, he hopes it isn’t too soon because even if this works, it means enormous pain for Eddie and even if he likes the idea of giving his boyfriend a massage, that is something he would like to avoid. For a bit, funnily enough, it seems like Richie taking all these precautions caused Eddie’s headaches to be gone for good. He’s soon nearing six weeks headache-free, and Richie still keeps his purchases hidden, too afraid to throw them out and tempt fate. Despite some residual worry, it’s the happiest six weeks Richie and Eddie have with each other, and both men hope that they never end.<br/> <br/> <br/>But, of course, they come to a sudden end not five days later. Before seeing Eddie, Richie can already tell his boyfriend is miserable when he hears him come home from work. The past few weeks, he had gotten used to Eddie coming home, sometimes humming along to a song or calling out to Richie to tell him about a stupid thing that happened at work. But today, Eddie is quiet. Richie has to listen closely to even hear him close the door and take off his shoes and jacket. It takes him far longer to make it to the living room than it usually does, and when he steps into the room, he’s rubbing at his neck with a pained expression.<br/> <br/>“I know it’s my turn tonight but I don’t think I’m up for cooking”, he says and slowly, carefully sits down next to Richie on the couch, “Can we just order something and I’ll cook tomorrow?” <br/> <br/>“Yeah sure, no need to feel bad”, Richie assures his boyfriend immediately, getting his phone out with one hand and running the other through Eddie’s hair, “No need to cook when you’re not doing okay. We’ll just order your favorite and make the best of the night.” <br/> <br/>“Thanks. I really thought those headaches might be gone for good…”<br/> <br/>Eddie sighs next to him as Richie orders, angling the bright phone screen away from his boyfriend. They sit in the dim light of the living room as they wait for their food, and Richie tells Eddie all about his day and the squirrel he ‘befriended’ this morning. The smaller man listens and laughs sometimes, but every time it is followed by Eddie wincing and – presumably – his headache getting worse. He looks so small and miserable on that couch when Richie gets up to set the table that the comedian feels like an absolute bastard for leaving him behind in the first place. Then, when dinner arrives, Eddie eats only half his dish and then stares down at his plate until Richie is done with his. The brunet puts the dishes into the dishwasher as quietly as humanly possible, then extends a hand to Eddie.</p>
<p> “You follow me now. I have something planned to treat that stupid headache”, he tells him, and Eddie raises a brow at him. <br/> <br/>“Is it-“<br/> <br/>“No, it is not sex”, Richie says, rolling his eyes because he already knows what’s coming next, “Unless you expressly ask for it, that is.” <br/> <br/>Eddie doesn’t look convinced, but he takes Richie’s hand and lets him guide him to the bedroom. Once there, Richie keeps the lights off, walking around the room only by the light of the moon and the single streetlamp outside. He grabs the box from the back of his closet he used to hide all his massage supplies away for the past weeks and places it next to the bed. Under Eddie’s confused gaze, he retrieves five candles from it first, arranging them on the bedside table and carefully lighting one after the other. They’re only very faintly scented to make sure not to make any existing headaches worse. <br/> <br/>Then, Richie shoves sheets and pillows on Eddie’s side of the bed to the side and spreads their biggest and fluffiest towel over the bed instead. He thought of that after buying a bottle of expensive massage oil and realizing that, should any of it hit the bed, Eddie would be done relaxing and instead put new sheets on the bed. So, the towel is designated not only to provide comfort but also keep the bed clean and potentially save them some trouble in the long run. Then, he turns back to Eddie.<br/> <br/>“Would you please take off all your clothes except for your boxers?”, he asks and can already imagine the frown coming up before it actually appears on Eddie’s face.</p>
<p> “I thought you said this wasn’t about sex”, the smaller man complains but begins to unbutton his work shirt nonetheless, “I’m really not in the mood, Rich…”<br/> <br/>“This is not about sex!”, Richie exclaims and bends down to grab the massage oil from the box, “I’m trying to do something nice for you, and you distrust me like this? I am deeply hurt, Edward.” <br/> <br/>Eddie eyes the bottle suspiciously for a moment or two, rolls his eyes at Richie’s ‘posh British gentleman’ voice, and takes off the rest of his clothing as Richie asked. Once he’s either folded everything neatly or thrown the dirty clothes in the hamper, he lets Richie guide him over to the bed and lies down on his stomach as instructed.<br/> <br/>“Those candles smell nice”, Eddie mutters, while Richie rolls up his sleeve and then climbs on the bed to kneel above his partner. <br/> <br/>“I hope this is okay”, Richie says, thinking only now that maybe he should ask his boyfriend for permission even if they usually share touches quite freely, “Since you’re still uncomfortable with getting a massage from a professional, I thought maybe I could help…”<br/> <br/>“Since when do you know how to give a massage?”, Eddie wants to know, and Richie can see his shoulders tense even worse than they had done before.<br/> <br/>“I watched a lot of instructional videos these past weeks”, the brunet explains, sounding more confident than he really feels, “I might not be an expert but I’m pretty sure I can do this without causing damage. If you trust me, that is…” <br/> <br/>Eddie hesitates for a moment but then sighs and resigns to his fate.<br/> <br/>“If you mess something up, I’m making you pay for it”, is all he says before giving Richie a signal that it’s fine and he can start if he wants to.<br/> <br/> <br/>Richie smiles and leans forward to press a soft kiss between Eddie’s shoulder blades. <br/> <br/>Then he begins to rub his hands across Eddie’s back dry like he’s seen in the videos he watched to prepare for this. Eddie immediately sighs softly, and Richie can see the hair on his arms standing up. The brunet smiles to himself. Is this how good he can make Eddie feel with just a few strokes of his hands up and down his back, he’s pretty confident that the actual massage could help relax his boyfriend’s tense shoulders and neck.</p>
<p> After a few moments of just allowing Eddie’s muscles to warm to his touch and relax the slightest bit, Richie grabs the oil and dribbles a generous amount of it on Eddie’s back. The other man complains because Richie forgot to warm it beforehand, but the brunet doesn’t respond. He’s far too focused, now, on spreading the oil evenly on his boyfriend’s back and working it into the skin. Soon enough, Eddie’s protest ebbs away, and Richie can feel the other man relax under his fingers.<br/>That relaxation is short-lived, however. Once Richie begins really digging into the muscle of Eddie’s shoulders, the smaller man hisses, and tenses again immediately.<br/> <br/>“Hey, you’re supposed to relax”, Richie reminds him and eases the pressure he put on that spot. Eddie’s muscles let go the tiniest bit but not all the way.</p>
<p> “It hurts”, the smaller man complains, “And you’ve never done this before. How will I know you’re not going to mess something up?”<br/> <br/>“If you don’t trust me, we can stop”, Richie says, and he means it. If Eddie can’t relax, this whole exercise is in vain either way. <br/> <br/>“No!”, Eddie exclaims, and a grin spreads across Richie’s face, “Just…be more careful.” <br/> <br/>Richie salutes before he remembers Eddie can’t see that and then resumes what he had previously been doing. He goes easier on Eddie, though, not digging his knuckles or the pads of his fingers in immediately as he first works along Eddie’s shoulders, then across his shoulder blades, and finally all the way down his spine. As he works, Richie tries every trick in the book that he’s seen in the massage videos on the internet, and it seems to be working just fine. Eddie goes from tensing and hissing under his hands to soft sighs and content whimpers. And Richie’s never been prouder of himself than he is whenever a knot in his boyfriend’s back finally gives way, and the muscle relaxes. <br/>At the same time, Richie feels like an absolute bastard whenever he returns to Eddie’s shoulders and neck and finds more knots he needs to work on. Because every time he does, Eddie will squirm and whine underneath him, and Richie knows he’s hurting. But all he can do is work on those muscles as best he can and promise Eddie that it’s going to be over soon. <br/> <br/>Finally, when all the knots in Eddie’s shoulders and neck have given way – at least for the time being – Richie buries his fingers in Eddie’s hair and runs his nails across the other’s scalp until the smaller man is a mess of shivers and gooseflesh.<br/> <br/>“You feeling any better?”, Richie asks after five more minutes of this treatment. Eddie gives a weak nod.<br/> <br/>“’m about to pass out…”<br/> <br/>“So your headache’s gone?”, Richie wants to know as he gets up and grabs another towel to rub down Eddie’s back and get rid of the oil.<br/> <br/>“For now, yeah”, Eddie says and sits up to throw the big towel off the bed. Richie’s never seen his posture so relaxed, curled in on himself and chin resting heavily on his sternum. “It might come back tomorrow, though…”</p>
<p> “Oh, don’t worry, I’m willing to give you this special treatment whenever you want”, Richie promises as he blows out the candles and then climbs into bed next to Eddie. <br/> <br/>“Thank you”, the smaller man mutters and presses a kiss to Richie’s cheek as he curls himself up against the brunet. <br/> <br/>There’s a snarky remark already on Richie’s lips but before he can get it out, Eddie’s already asleep next to him, snoring softly. Richie smiles to himself instead and settles down next to his boyfriend. Even if it’s just for tonight, he helped his boyfriend relieve some of the pain, and that’s more than he could have asked for…</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is entirely self-indulgent. I had a headache writing this and I have a headache posting this and I would give everything for a Richie to give me a massage right now. <br/>Hope someone out there can relate or enjoyed this fic even without relation to the headaches (which is probably better than relating tbh)!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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